Other Issues

Other Important Issues

On this page I briefly give my thoughts on important issues that, though they are not primary parts of my platform, still deserve consideration.

Roads

The quality of the roads in a city is generally a matter that should be handled by your state and local governments. If you want your roads to be repaired, you will need to let them know. And if the road require extensive repairs, you will need to be prepared to accept that such repairs may require an increase in taxes. Most local governments operate on shoestring budgets, so this is often unavoidable. Given that, if you would like to see road repairs you will need to not only let your local government know, you'll also need to convince the community at large as well.

In short, the best way to improve your roads is to be active, involved, and invested in your local government.

That said, sometimes the federal government stimulates the economy by investing in infrastructure, which means investing in roads, among other things. I support this kind of stimulus, and will fight to see a portion of that stimulus delivered to this district. However, please understand that this sort of program is not likely to fix the potholes on your streets. Federal funds are usually reserved for federal infrastructure: interstate highways, bridges, and tunnels, for instance, as well as sea ports and airports.

Campaign Finance Reform

Two court cases have changed the influence of money on elections in this country: Citizens United vs. Federal Elections Commission and Speechnow.Org vs. FEC. The combined effects of these decisions have made it legal for the wealthiest corporations and individuals to influence elections as much as they please thanks to SuperPACs.

In short, it seems contradictory to me that campaign contributions to candidates are strictly regulated (caps on donations from individuals and organizations, no contributions from corporations, etc), while SuperPACs are not. In my opinion, if you're influencing a campaign, then the same rules should apply to you, whether you're a candidate or an organization. Money doesn't control politics, but it has more influence than it should.

I support a Constitutional amendment to allow legislation that regulates campaign finances, even when an organization is "independent" of a candidate.

Women's Health

Generally speaking, I'm not of the opinion that men should be going around deciding policies targeted at women. Yet Congress (a legislative body that is only 19% women despite women being about 50% of the population) often seems to single out women's issues, so the best I can do is assure people that when these issues come up I will prioritize the voices of women when I ask for input.

As it is, I believe it's important that we protect providers of women's health care. Organizations like Planned Parenthood have been unfairly targeted for punishment.

Here are the facts about Planned Parenthood:

Yes, some Planned Parenthoods perform abortions. This is a legal practice, and has been since 1973.

In short, denying federal funding to Planned Parenthood (a major source of women's health services) punishes the women who use them because the organization performs perfectly legal operations. There's no justification for it.

Want more?

If you want to know my thoughts on an issue that's important to you but not addressed here, let me know and I'll add it to this page as soon as possible.